Broken Road
by Siancore
Summary: This is an AU Richonne fic with no zombies and set in Rick's hometown. Rick is trying to get Michonne to open her heart to him, despite her being hurt in the past.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: The annual Country Music Festival is on so you know what that means; yep, I'm the chick with the crazy curly hair and the cowboy hat who's feelin' inspired! This is an AU, fluffy Richonne fic with no zombies and set in Rick's hometown. Let me know if you enjoyed it and please do check out the song; it's my Richonne anthem hehehe.

* * *

><p>Broken Road<p>

_I set out on a narrow way many years ago  
>Hoping I would find true love along the broken road<br>But I got lost a time or two; wiped my brow and kept pushing through  
>I couldn't see how every sign pointed straight to you…*<em>

xXxXxXx

Michonne woke up in her barely lit room with the drapes closed to shroud her bedroom in shadows, with only the hint of light fighting its way through. That is how she had been feeling on the inside for some time now; dark, with only the small gift of intermittent light to keep her going. She blamed herself for what had happened; for not being strong enough, for not being _good_ enough. She promised herself she would not cry that morning, that there would come a day that she did not miss _the idea _of him so much; but, she knew all too well that promises were easily broken and that today was not that day. She drew her blanket nearer to her face and let a few tears fall down to her soft pillow. She was unsure of if she was crying for him anymore, or if she was crying for herself; self-doubt and pity can be horrible and crippling. Either way, whatever it was that weighed heavy in her heart, it felt terrible all the same.

xXxXxXx

The smell of Spanish omelette wafted through the small kitchen as Rick sat down alone at the small round table and poured himself a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. It was quiet without his teenaged son Carl, but the boy was spending the weekend at his friend's house. It had been three years since Rick's messy divorce had been finalized, and in the years since, he had decided that he would do something nice for himself when he was on his own. It was something that the counsellor had shown him; to pick a date and make it his own. On that one day, it was all about Rick. There was to be no stressing about work; no worrying about why his teenager never listened to him; no fighting with his ex-wife over stupid shit; and most of all, there was no blaming himself for how things had panned out. This day was Rick's day to do with it whatever he pleased. He picked up his phone from the table to check the time and had decided it was definitely not too early to send her a text message.

xXxXxXx

The vibration of the phone that sat on top of the wooden side table sounded louder than it normally would had it been in her purse. Michonne reached and fumbled around until she felt the phone and brought it close to her face in order to see who was contacting her. She smiled weakly when she saw his name on her screen and quickly opened the message that read:

_Good morning. How r u? Guess what? 2Day is RICK DAY & I made the omelette u taught me 2 make. Hmmm it's good 2! :) _

Underneath was a picture of Rick shoving a forkful of eggs and mushrooms into his mouth. Michonne smiled again after seeing what Rick had sent her; he always knew how to make her feel better without even trying. _Why can't they all be like him_, wondered Michonne as she sighed loudly and went about replying to her friend's message.

xXxXxXx

Rick smiled as he received a message from Michonne instantaneously.

_Is it Rick Day again so soon? Sure ur not doubling up? Lol Anyways, Happy RICK DAY! U deserve it! I feel crappy :( Just gonna bum around home I think. Enjoy ur day. Oh & nice pic. I'd text 1 back but I look like shit…_

His face dropped and his smile disappeared when he read that Michonne was feeling down again. He had no idea what it was going to take to bring back the happy, smiling woman that he had come to know.

"That asshole." Rick said under his breath as he thought about all of the things he could do to the so-called man who had hurt Michonne so much. He dialled her number and waited for her to answer. Knowing that she was not going to want to hear what he had to say, but knowing he was going to say it anyways.

xXxXxXx

"Shit." She said aloud when her phone rang. She really did not want Rick to be upset because she was, again, upset; but that was just how he was. He was caring and protective; he was a great person and a good man. She cleared her throat and answered.

"Hello?"

"I got your message…" Rick started before she interjected.

"Rick, it's okay, really. I'm alright…" She lied, before Rick interrupted her.

"I know you said that you look like shit, but I doubt that very much, Michonne. You always look great." He offered playfully.

She smiled and laughed a little.

"Thanks, you always know what to say to make me feel better." She said softly, causing Rick to smile also.

"Hey, it's easy to give you compliments 'cause they're always the truth. Now, d'ya wanna come with me to get coffee and laugh at tourists?" He continued.

"Tourists?" She asked slightly confused as to what Rick was talking about.

"The Country Music Festival is on this weekend, remember? So that means tourists."

She laughed into the phone as she recalled the previous year when she told Rick, over several beers, that although she did not enjoy the music at the Festival, she did enjoy the tourists. When he had asked _why the tourists?_ Michonne replied: "Because it's fun to watch them enjoying themselves in our boring ass little town; they liven the place up and make me laugh, in a good way."

"I can't believe you remembered that!" She exclaimed, listening to Rick chuckle at the other end of the line.

"I remember everything you say." He replied tenderly, almost shyly before they both went quiet.

Michonne sometimes wished he would not do that, she wished he would not be that way with her; how he was always so kind and sweet to her; how he said little things that proved to her that he cared for her more than just a friend would; how he made it so easy for her to forget Mike. It was not that she did not appreciate Rick and his kind ways, she truly did; he had helped her these past months more than she could say. The thing that was holding Michonne back from him was that she just could not bring herself to risk her heart again, no matter how drawn she was to Rick and no matter how much he doted on her; she had just been wounded too deeply before.

"Hey, come pick me up then; we'll go laugh at tourists. That's if you want to share Rick Day with me!" She offered.

While Rick felt a little disappointed that she chose to ignore what he had said and the tone in which he said it, he was nonetheless pleased to be given the opportunity be spending some time with Michonne. Still not deterred by her aloofness regarding his obvious endearment toward her, he stated evenly and clearly before hanging up the phone:

"I'd love to share _everyday _with you."

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><p>AN: Do you think Rick will be able to get Michonne to trust him with her heart or are they better off as just friends? More to come…

Please give this song a listen; even if you don't much like country music, it's really nice.

_*Bless the Broken Road_ by Rascal Flatts


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! This instalment gives some insight into Rick's bad relationship with Lori and to his close friendship with Michonne. So it's flashback time! I love a good flashback. As you will find, Rick has come a lot further in his healing journey than Michonne, because he has had more time. It deals with more mature themes and the language just got serious so I've changed the rating. Enjoy!

Contains some 'Lori-Bashing' so if that's not your cup o' tea, then you best exit now lol

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><p><em>I think about the years I spent just passing through<br>I'd like to have the time I lost and give it back to you…_

4 and a Half Years Ago

Michonne watched Rick from across the table in the small café; he used the handle of the coffee mug to rotate the half empty object while staring down at the red and white checker pattern that adorned the plastic table covering. He looked so sullen and pale, she thought, sitting dressed in his Deputy's uniform with dark spots under his swollen eyes; Rick had not been sleeping well since his wife admitted to having an affair with his best friend, fellow police officer and partner. Lori did not even have the decency to spare him the news of her pregnancy to Shane and that they were running off together to be a happy family. Carl, it seemed, was not going to be part of that happy family and was left behind, much like his father was.

When Rick called Michonne to meet him for coffee, she cancelled her appointments and went to him right away as she knew he was doing it tough recently. They had formed an easy friendship around two years ago when she moved to King County to live with her ailing grandmother. Her grandmother passed away not too long after, but Michonne stayed and began working at the courthouse; because Rick was a police officer with the Sheriff's Department, it meant they had the chance to work together numerous times before their close friendship developed. They were so much alike in so many ways; always the first person to offer help; always wanting to rescue other people and save them from themselves; always putting the needs of others before their own; and never truly realizing their own worth. After everyone else came and went, Rick and Michonne were left with only each other to pick up the pieces.

Michonne remained quiet as she continued to watch her friend. It had been a few weeks since Lori had told Rick that she no longer wanted him, that she no longer loved him.

"Grimes? Maybe you should go home." Michonne stated, feeling at a total loss of what to say to bring comfort to her friend.

"Nah, I can't. She's packin' the rest of her shit up today." He said, sounding deflated.

Michonne nodded, wishing that he did not have to go through the pain he was feeling; knowing he was too good for all of this. Rick looked up at her and asked quietly:

"Can you do me a favour, please?" His eyes looked red as they pleaded with her.

"Of course, anything." Was Michonne's reply.

"Would you go by our place and get the keys from her. I mean, ya don't have to, but I can't go there, not while the both of 'em are there." His tone sounded so sad that she felt small little pangs in her chest.

"I can do that for you." She said, as she reached over and squeezed Rick's hand gently.

"And I'll make sure the dumb bitch doesn't take any of your good silverware too." She added, with a wink.

Rick smiled sadly at Michonne and said a silent prayer of thanks that she was there for him now that everyone else he had loved had forsaken him.

xXxXxXx

Michonne's car pulled up to the curb outside of Rick's home; she noticed right away that Lori and Shane were there moving the last of her belongings to the back of his truck. She stopped when she noticed Michonne getting out of the dark coloured vehicle and begin to walk casually up the driveway. Lori motioned for Shane to continue packing the remaining boxes securely in the tray and ambled down to meet Michonne half way. Both women wore looks of derision as they eyed each other.

"What d'ya want, Michonne? Come to yell at me again?" Spat Lori, cautiously keeping her distance.

"No actually, Lori." Came Michonne's snide reply. "But it can most certainly be arranged."

"Whatever, I'm not doing this again, I'm done. You should be happy now. You can fucking have him; he's all yours…" She started before Michonne interrupted her mid-sentence.

"Sweetie, once again, you've got it all wrong. But, ya know what? Keep makin' up these ridiculous little stories in your ridiculous little head. Whatever helps you sleep at night. Rationalize all you want; blame Rick all you want. Shit, keep blaming me if it makes you feel better; but you're the one who's walkin' away. I'm just here to get Rick's keys when you're done." Michonne replied, full of contempt while keeping her voice low and calm.

"The keys are under the doormat. Really, I don't have anything else to say to you Michonne, so piss off and stop bein' a nosy bitch." Lori said, after a moment's silence.

"Good." Said Michonne almost immediately. "Don't say anything else. You're not even worth my time or energy; you're certainly not worth Rick's."

Michonne stepped closer as Lori slowly tried to inch away. Michonne looked her up and down and snorted with disdain before adding:

"When you're gone, just fucking stay gone. He's too good for you, Lori. He's always been too good for you. Even you know that, that's why you're scrapin' the bottom of the barrel now. One day soon, he'll realize it and him and Carl, they'll be alright. I'll make sure they are. So run along, bitch; before your new baby daddy finds out what a self-centred piece of shit you really are."

With that, Michonne walked past her and up to the porch and collected Rick's keys. She turned, stood with her hands on her hips and watched as the truck drove away slowly; Lori, she noticed, did not look back once.

xXxXxXx

3 Years Ago

Michonne rummaged through her purse until her hands fell upon the key ring that held far too many keys to be reasonably functional. She pulled it out and looked at the small green figure that hung from it before whispering to it:

"Please, Master Yoda, help me find the right key."

After trying three different keys in the lock, she was finally able to gain access to the Grimes residence. She placed her purse on the couch before making her way into the kitchen to get a glass of water. It was a Friday afternoon and she had managed to get off work early to be waiting for Carl when he got home from school; Rick was going to be a little late coming home, something about catching up on paperwork, so Michonne agreed to wait with Carl until he returned. She did not mind at all; she would do anything to help her friend out as it was not easy being a working, single father. Besides, Michonne adored Carl like he was her own and he loved her too. She walked back into the lounge room, kicked off her shoes, removed her jacket, fell comfortably back onto the couch and reached into her purse again. This time she retrieved the new edition of Uncanny X-Men, examined the cover artwork, smiled at Wolverine and Bobby Drake and settled in to read it before Carl came home and took it from her to add to his growing collection.

By the time that Rick came through the front door, looking tired and hungry, it was past ten o'clock and Carl was already asleep on the couch with his head resting on Michonne's lap. The soft glow of the television was the only light inside the darkened space, but then she smiled and he thought the whole room lit up. Rick returned her gesture and grinned at the sight of the two people he cared for most in the world; Carl snoring softly and Michonne with a loving arm draped protectively over him.

"Hey." He said warmly, as he dropped his bag to the floor and placed his hat on the armchair before removing his holster and putting it near the hat.

"Hey. Long day, uh?" Replied Michonne as Rick nodded wearily. "There's a plate for you in the oven. I'll be there in a sec."

"Thank you." He said sincerely, his voice sounding strained, as he walked into the kitchen and turned on the light.

Michonne joined Rick soon after he had sat down to eat; he wiped his mouth with a napkin and thanked her again for watching after Carl, and for cooking him dinner. He proceeded to tell her about the mountains of paperwork he had to complete, before being called out to the scene of a car crash.

"It was pretty fuckin' horrible, Michonne." He started. "They were just a couple of kids out joyriding, lost control of the car and went head first into a tree."

"Shit." She said, eyes wide with shock.

"Driver didn't make it, died at the scene. The other kid, he might have a chance." He said sadly.

Michonne noted how drained Rick looked; this was the aspect of his job that he hated and it weighed heavily on him. She placed a comforting hand to his shoulder and rubbed it a few times before giving it a light squeeze.

"That's terrible. I feel so bad for their families." She offered.

Rick nodded knowingly and continued eating as they sat in silence a short while before Michonne spoke again.

"I'm sorry you had to see that, Rick. Are you okay?"

He smiled weakly, always amazed at her thoughtfulness and thankful that she cared enough to offer him soothing words and ask about how he was doing.

"I guess I'm fine, it's never easy and I'll never get used to it, but, ya know, it's part of the job." He said softly before pushing his plate away.

"Is there someone at the station who you can talk to?" She asked, referring to a counsellor; Rick knew what she meant, knowing how fond she was of the 'professional listeners', as he jokingly called them. She was, after all, the person who suggested he seek help after his marriage fell apart, or more aptly, after Lori was unfaithful and left him.

"Yeah." Rick replied. "But I'm doin' just fine talkin' to you."

They both smiled at one another and stared into each other's eyes for longer than was necessary. Hesitantly, Rick forced his gaze from Michonne's and looked at his wristwatch.

"Hey, do you wanna come somewhere with me tomorrow?" He asked, as if he was suddenly reminded of something that needed doing.

"May I ask where it is that you would like me to accompany you?" She asked, intrigued by his seemingly random invitation.

He chuckled slightly at how she would occasionally use ten words to say something that only required two to convey meaning; not that he minded because her voice made him feel calm. She was, he thought, quite exceptional.

"Just down to the lake, I've got somethin' to do there." He smiled as he offered a rather vague answer, which he thought would suffice.

"Grimesy, is it to go fishing? I told you a hundred times, dude; I ain't goin' fishin' with you."

Rick laughed at her response, which caused her to laugh as well.

"No ma'am." He replied, flashing her a wide grin that momentarily left her with a fluttering in her stomach. "No fishin' at all."

"Okay, then. It's a date."

xXxXxXx

The sun was hidden behind the cloud-filled sky as Rick and Michonne ambled lazily along the dirt path; their stomachs still full from the lunch they had shared not too long ago. He had parked the car in the designated parking area that was a short walk from the lake. They strolled in comfortable silence as Michonne thought about what Rick had told her over lunch; the suggestions his counsellor had made several months ago about having a day to himself. She thought it was a good idea; Rick had taken the divorce and the circumstances surrounding it hard. He had lost two people he loved, they had only lost him yet still had each other. The betrayal was devastating; the pain, unimaginable. For a long time Rick blamed himself for not being good enough, but with Michonne's help, he came to realize that he was worthy; that he was a good person. He mourned the loss of his wife and his friend, fell down and got back up again. Rick's heart began to heal and he moved on with his life.

"Rick." Michonne finally said. "If this is your day, which by the way, I'm dubbing 'Rick Day', to spend by yourself doing things that make you happy, then why was I invited?"

He looked sideways at her and smiled, before giving her his explanation.

"Well, firstly, I think that's a pretty good name for my day. Makes sense, you come up with that one all on your own?" He asked, jokingly.

"Hey! Don't be a smartass or your day's gonna go south pretty quickly." She offered while playfully shoving Rick.

"Sorry, don't hurt me now." He laughed before continuing. "It's like this: after seeing that crash last night, I guess I got to thinkin' about how short life is, ya know? And, I know it's cliché, but seeing somethin' like that really does put everything in perspective. I was thinkin' about doin' this for a long time, but sittin' there last night talkin' to you made me make up my mind."

Michonne stopped, causing Rick to halt as well; she faced him and urged him to go on with what he was saying, after stating that he had not answered her question as to why she was invited to his day.

"I thought it was fairly obvious why I asked you to come along, Michonne. You've been there with me through all of the bad days, may as well be here with me for the good ones too."

Michonne's heart filled with adoration for Rick in that moment as her eyes involuntarily began to tear up. They smiled at each other as she hooked her arm through his and started walking again before saying:

"I wouldn't wanna be anywhere else."

They finally reached the lake as Michonne let go of Rick's arm, kicked off her shoes and dipped her toes in the cool water. They both stood in silence a moment enjoying the serenity before she began to speak.

"Okay, we're here, now what? Skinny dipping? I swear you're trouble, Rick Grimes!" Michonne laughed.

Rick beamed at her, and decided not to say what he was really thinking about her mention of the both of them swimming naked.

"Ha! You wish I was trouble." Came his reply before he reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out his wedding ring.

He looked down at it sitting harmlessly in the palm of his hand; Michonne's own gaze followed his as the playful mood dissipated.

"What ya got there?" She asked, knowing full well what it was.

"My wedding band. It was in the bottom of my sock drawer the whole time, guess I just forgot it was there." He offered, looking contemplative.

She nodded before asking if he was alright, to which he answered:

"I'm great, actually. It's been coming, but I got there. I was gone for a long time; but Carl brought me back, you did too. Realized it was high time that I did this."

Without another word or any hint of hesitance, Rick swung his arm back and tossed the small ring as far as he could throw it, into the depths of the lake. He then looked at Michonne in a relieved way, and smiled happily. She beamed back at Rick, rubbed his back and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek before saying:

"I love you and I'm so proud of you, Grimesy, but we should've pawned it and bought a bottle of whiskey with the cash."

They both laughed loudly as she dipped her foot into the water again and splashed Rick playfully. He then swiftly scooped up a squealing Michonne into his arms and threatened to drop her into the water. Neither of them noticed the golden rays of sunshine that fought their way through the darkened clouds and caused the lake to shimmer ever so slightly, much like Rick's blue eyes whenever Michonne was near.

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><p>AN: More to come!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: We get a glimpse into Michonne's bad relationship now and, while it doesn't explain fully why she's been a bit of a mess, it's leading up to it. Enjoy!

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><p><em>You just smile and take my hand<br>You've been there you understand  
>It's all part of a grander plan that is coming true…<em>

18 months ago

Rick narrowed his eyes and looked at the small screen of his phone as it vibrated in a repetitive manner; the time was 12:37AM and the caller was Michonne. He answered immediately.

"Hello?" He said, his voice croaky from not speaking to anyone for a couple of hours.

"Rick?" She asked shakily, almost unrecognizable.

"Yeah, Michonne? Is that you?" He asked, concerned by her tone.

"Yes, it's me. I hope I didn't wake you. Rick, can you please come and get me?"

"Nah it's fine, I was awake still. Where are you? What's happened?" He spoke louder, worried about what trouble might have befallen her.

"I'm at Sumpter's place, out Four Mile Road." She said hesitantly, knowing Rick was going to reprimand her.

"What the Hell are you doin' out there, Michonne? Oh never mind, let me guess, Mike right?" Rick asked, disdain evident in his voice. He realized that her new boyfriend was bad news; he knew he could be dangerous, but Rick never interfered in Michonne's romantic affairs. He was there for her when she needed help or a shoulder to lean on, always, that would never change; but, for reasons quite obvious to him, he chose not to get involved in her love life. While Rick was not in the least bit happy about her seeing this man, he decided to wait it out. Mike was destructive, and Michonne was Michonne; always caring too much and too deeply and trying to save everyone. She was an intelligent woman and Rick could only hope that she would see this relationship for what it was; poisonous.

"Please, Rick. I don't wanna argue. We were only supposed to come out for dinner and drinks, and now they're all off their heads. I don't wanna be here and I've had too much to drink so I can't drive back."

"Shit, 'Chonne, this is gettin' to be a habit; this ain't like you at all! I don't know why you…I just don't know. He's no good for you!" Rick scolded.

Everything went quiet, Michonne was quiet. She hated when Rick was upset with her, but he was the only person she trusted. She thought she could trust Mike, but his drug addiction had become increasingly worse over the past several months. What started off as him smoking recreational marijuana turned into a hidden addiction to methamphetamine after he had lost visitation rights to his two young children. Michonne was trying to be a supportive girlfriend, to help him through his grief and addiction, but it was becoming too much to handle. His new lifestyle was also becoming detrimental to her by extension.

"Michonne!" Rick said a little more loudly and harshly than he had meant to.

"Yes? Rick, I'm sorry. I don't wanna make you angry with me. It's fine, I'll stay. I shouldn't have called, it's not your problem. I'm sorry." Her words were slightly slurred because she was intoxicated, but Rick could sense the regret in her voice; she really did dislike having to burden Rick like this, and he knew this as well. He remembered how many times she had driven to the local bar to get him after Lori left him and immediately realized it was not the best time to be trying to talk sense into someone while they were inebriated.

"I'm not angry at you, I'm just frustrated, but look, I'll come get ya right now. Wait outside and I'll be there in about ten minutes. Okay?"

"Okay. Thank you, Rick."

The town was eerily quiet as Rick drove to its outskirts and headed to where Michonne was stranded. She had already helped him in ways that she may never understand and he would be damned if he was going to let her be dragged down by Mike's shit. Rick drove his pick up into the dusty driveway at Sumpter's place; he knew the layout of the yard as he had been called there many a time for domestic disturbances whenever Riley Sumpter had an unfortunate girlfriend. He turned his lights off and pulled a little closer to the house then came to a halt, so he would not to let the occupants know that a vehicle had arrived uninvited to the house party. He exited his vehicle and made his way to where Michonne was waiting for him. She spotted Rick and was hurriedly trying to reclasp the small buckles at the back of her sandals as he neared her. She glanced to him and offered an apologetic look; Rick shrugged and motioned for her to quicken her pace and to keep quiet. She was actually more intoxicated than she had sounded on the phone, Rick noted, maybe two times as drunk as he had thought.

Michonne finally got her footwear in place and stumbled quite noticeably when she stood; Rick instinctively reached for her, placed his arm around her back and rested his hand at her waist. She leaned into him as he assisted her down the steps and led her toward his car. The smell of alcohol was strong on her and Rick knew she would have a sore head in the morning as she was not usually a heavy drinker at all. They reached his car and Rick opened the passenger's door for Michonne and helped her into her seat. She smiled lazily at him as he leaned across in front of her to fasten the seat belt; he smiled back at her as she closed her heavy eyes now that she felt safe. He stood momentarily and watched her as her breathing became steady and she drifted off into sleep. He reached his hand to gently brush away a few dreadlocks that fell over her face before closing the car door. As Rick began to walk around to the driver's side, he heard the front door of the residence fly open and crash against the wall, before a loud voice called out.

"Michonne! Where are you?"

It was a drunk and high Mike, and he was not in a friendly mood as he spotted Rick's car and jogged in its direction, recognizing Rick right away.

"Where the fuck is she, Grimes?" He spat as Rick moved hastily and intercepted him before he could get to the car and see Michonne passed out in the front seat.

"Back the fuck up, Mike. She's had enough, okay. I'm takin' her home." Rick said firmly, but quietly while standing to block his way.

"Fuck you! She ain't your fuckin' woman, she's mine! Now move outta my way!" Mike yelled as he tried to move past Rick.

Rick's law enforcement training came into effect as he grabbed Mike, and in one seamless movement twisted his arm behind his back and dropped him down to his knees and then forced him to his stomach; his face landed in the dirt that moved in small puffs as Mike breathed heavily.

"Don't fuckin' try me, asshole! I swear to Christ I'll snap your arm right now and then haul your ass in for assaultin' a police officer!" Rick said vehemently as he dug his knee into Mike's back a little more as the young man started to struggle in a futile manner.

"Now, I'm gonna get up slowly, and you're gonna stay on the fucking ground until we drive outta here, you understand me?" Rick demanded.

Mike offered no response, but ceased struggling.

"I can't hear you, Mike. Do you fuckin' understand me?" He asked again, with much more venom to his tone.

Rick heard a muffled yes and slowly but cautiously got back to his feet. Mike did as he was told and remained where he was until Rick drove out of the driveway and back onto the road; Michonne snored quietly the whole way back to town totally oblivious to what had just transpired between the two men in her life.

Rick drove his car into his backyard and sprinted over to unlock the back door and turn on a few lights. He returned to the car and proceeded to rouse Michonne from her drunken nap. She seemed somewhat bewildered until she realized it was Rick who was gently shaking her; she smiled widely at him and groggily moved to stand. She was still unsteady on her feet so he offered an arm to help her walk again. They made their way slowly and carefully inside, making a short stop at the kitchen sink so that Michonne could drink two glasses of water in rapid succession. Rick helped her up to his bedroom and she flopped down on the bed trying to keep from falling backwards. Rick began to remove her sandals and then sat beside her; her eyes were still glassy and she swayed involuntarily, but held Rick's gaze as best she could.

"Richard, I can't kick you outta your bed. That's rude of me, I might be tipsy but still have manners, ya know." Michonne said in her slurred voice that always sounded two octaves higher when she was drunk. Rick chuckled at her idea of 'tipsy', how cute she was and how she was not in the least bit annoying considering her present state. He was just happy she was safe and away from Mike for the time being.

"It'd be rude of me to let a lady sleep on the couch." He said, nudging her softly with his shoulder.

"Oookkayyy." Came her reply. "If I see a lady, I'll let her know."

Rick let out a chortle and reminded her to keep her voice down as Carl was sleeping in the room next door. She pulled the most adorable face that feigned shock and remorse before putting her finger to her mouth to silence herself. Rick continued to smile at her as he stood and motioned for her to lie down. She complied before rolling onto her side and gesturing for Rick to lay down beside her. He turned the lamp off, walked to the other side of the bed, took off his boots and lay down, not too far from Michonne; he rested his elbow on the bed and his head to his hand facing her direction. She blinked quickly several times as she tried to focus on his face in the dark.

"Thanks, Grimesy. For comin' to get me. I'd be lost without you." She whispered, before reaching her hand out toward his face.

"Where are you?" Michonne giggled, not being able to see properly, before feeling the stubble on his face and saying. "Ah, there you are."

Rick, fully aware of the intimate situation they were both in froze at her touch, not sure about what was going on. He felt his heart rate speed up as Michonne shifted closer to him and said:

"Seriously, thank you, Rick. You know I love you, right?" She asked so quietly that he was almost unsure of what she said; her hand still caressing his face. He knew it was only the alcohol talking, and she probably, more than likely, did not mean it _that_ way, but he felt his heart swell in that moment at hearing her utter those words.

"I love you too." Was his gentle and earnest reply; and he meant it.

Michonne was quiet for a second, she then, quite suddenly, rubbed her thumb across his bottom lip. Rick immediately felt a stirring in his pants as the simple contact sent shivers through his entire body. She shifted again and brought her lips to his; Rick, shocked by her action, took a second to realize what was happening before he opened his mouth and met her tongue with his own. He instinctively let one hand rest under her head and the other hand wander to her body while he rolled her to her back, deepened the kiss and breathed heavily. Rick was in a daze at the sensation; he had long wondered what Michonne's full lips would feel like pressed against his. Suddenly, he came to his senses and pulled away, eliciting a small indecipherable protest from Michonne. He held her hand gently for a minute so that she could not caress him again, although she tried to, which would cause him to lose all control and give in to the overwhelming urge to remove both their clothing and press his body against hers. Rick closed his eyes tight in an effort to clear his head that was spinning. Michonne remained quiet and eventually stopped trying to regain more intimate contact him.

Rick relinquished her hand, rolled away from her and sat at the edge of the bed; Michonne did not move and they said nothing for a moment. Rick ran both of his hands through his hair before saying:

"Shit, 'Chonne, I'm sorry. We shouldn't be doin' this. I shouldn't have done that. This ain't right. It's…ah, shit. It's not that I don't want to, because I do. I want this, I want this with you. I want this more than anything, fuck. I want you. I want you so bad; but not like this, not while you're…" His admission was cut short by the quiet snoring that came from Michonne as she passed out on him once again.

Rick covered her with a sheet, kissed her forehead and made his way to the couch; sleep did not find him as he lay thinking of Michonne and feeling conflicting emotions. He was confused about so many things at that moment, but there was one thing he knew for certain; he was in love with her.

* * *

><p>AN: I love drunk Michonne, she's a little bit cute, but I wonder if she'll remember anything in the morning hehehe

Gosh, I love writing these two; I could write about them forever! More to come…


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: This follows on from where we finished Chapter 3 and it takes place the morning after Michonne, who already has a (lousy) boyfriend, got drunk and made out with her BFF Rick, who is actually in love with her and the feelings seem to be mutual LOL Are you still with me? Drama, drama, drama. This is why I love writing AU fics.

Thank you all for the reviews; I'm getting 'round to replying!

* * *

><p>18 Months Ago<p>

Rick squinted his eyes and looked to the midday sky, wondering if they were in for rain. He and Carl were in the backyard unloading a crate of small potted plants; they were small cucumbers bushes ready to be planted in the Grimes' flourishing vegetable patch. It actually started as a Rick Day activity that Carl became interested in not too long after. They had quickly made an impromptu run to the nursery while Michonne was still sleeping off the night before. Rick needed something to keep himself busy so that he did not think too much about what happened between him and Michonne; what _could _have happened between them, if he had not fought against his desires and acted like a responsible adult. He did not try to wake her and let her sleep right through the morning; it gave him more time to avoid the awkward conversation that he knew was coming. Rick knew she would firstly thank him; then apologize to him for how she had behaved; after that she would let him know she appreciates him; then, the part he knew would secretly crush him, she would tell him that it was best if they just remained good friends.

xXxXxXx

Michonne screwed her face up and then opened her right eye just before her left one. She was a little disoriented at first, not realizing where she was. Then she remembered; she was in Rick's bed. Slowly, her memories of the previous night came sneaking back. She remembered being at Mike's friend's house party and pleading with Mike to leave; he did not want to so they had an argument. She then drank the better part of a bottle of vodka to herself, while Mike and his friends got high. That's when she called Rick. She did not remember leaving the party and arriving at the Grimes residence.

Suddenly, Michonne's face grew warm as she recalled telling Rick she loved him and that he said he loved her too, and then she remembered kissing him. She covered her eyes with her hands at the memory of Rick kissing her back.

"Oh God, Michonne. What the fuck is wrong with you?" She asked herself out loud, still feeling strange from the alcohol she had consumed the night before.

She honestly did not recall if she and Rick had sex; although she fully remembered wanting to. Michonne could not help but smile slightly as she thought of how soft Rick's mouth was and how his hand danced over her body as he drew her near; how good he felt pressed against her; how he had wanted her as much as she wanted him from the way his length grew hard when it brushed against her. She suddenly began to feel hot as a familiar pulsing came from between her legs. She checked under the sheet and found that she was still clothed; she checked under her dress and found her panties were still on. Michonne then silently reprimanded herself for even thinking that Rick would take advantage of her in a drunken state. No, this was not good; she would go and apologize to him immediately…after she had a shower, ate a tube of toothpaste and throbbing in her head and in her lower regions went away.

xXxXxXx

Rick and Carl had finally put all of the new plants into the ground while Carl used the hose to sprinkle them lightly with water as his father looked on, impressed with the variety they had. Carl suddenly asked Rick to take the hose while he checked his phone that just signalled he had received a text message. He smiled widely and laughed when he read it.

"What's funny, son?" Asked Rick amused at Carl's attachment to the phone; he often saw the boy staring down at it smiling like a fool. "Message from your girlfriend, uh?"

Carl rolled his eyes at his father's lame attempts at teasing and quickly responded to him in his own mocking manner.

"Nah, Dad. It's actually _your _girlfriend." He said as he held the screen for his father to see the text message which read:

_Hey dude! Major hangover. Need a shower ASAP, could u grab a towel off the line for me. Pwitty pwease? Love u foreva & eva ;) _

Underneath was a picture of Michonne pulling a fake sad face.

Rick smiled slightly; it seemed she was finally awake so he absentmindedly dusted off his clothes and fixed his hair without thinking before reminding Carl that Michonne was _not_ his girlfriend.

"Whatever, Dad." Came the boy's reply. "When I went into your room this morning, she was asleep in _your_ bed. So yeah, looks that way to me. Just sayin', dude."

Rick laughed a little and shook his head.

"Firstly, I hate when you _both_ call me 'dude' and secondly it ain't even like that, Carl. Now go get a towel for her." Came his reply.

Carl walked over to the clothesline and grabbed all of the towels that Rick had forgotten to take off the previous afternoon.

"Hey, Dad?" Carl asked as he walked toward the back door.

"Yeah?" Answered Rick as he placed the gardening tools into the empty crate and looked to where his son was standing with the towels draped over his left arm and his right hand on the door knob.

"It'd be totally cool with me, ya know, if Michonne was your girlfriend." He offered, along with a crooked smile before heading indoors.

_Yes_, thought Rick; _I know what you mean._

xXxXxXx

Michonne stepped out of the shower and felt a little dizzy. She dried herself off quickly, swallowed two painkillers and rinsed her mouth with Listerine. She tied her hair into a ponytail, got dressed and went to see what her favourite guys were doing. Rick and Carl were in the kitchen making ham sandwiches for lunch, when Michonne stepped into the room she smiled tiredly at them both. She held Rick's gaze and then became suddenly shy.

"Sorry, I went through your clothes and put these on. Hope you don't mind."

She said to Rick as she stood wearing one of his button down shirts that was too big and a pair of his boxer shorts that was tied in a knot at the side to prevent them from falling off her small frame. Rick could barely speak and just stood staring at her for longer than he had meant to. She looked absolutely beautiful despite her hangover. The fact that she was wearing his clothes was a turn on for him. He reasoned that he could get used to seeing her like that; dressed in one of the shirts that belonged to him, in the house that belonged to him, knowing that _she_ belonged to him.

"Ah, it's fine." He finally said clearing his throat, taking a seat and asking if she was hungry.

She nodded and took a seat next to Carl, feeling self-conscious under Rick's gaze.

"Carl, don't you ever drink alcohol when you're older, okay dude? Pinky promise me you won't." She held her finger to the boy who linked his own with hers to seal their deal.

"I am _never_ drinkin' vodka again." She offered as both father and son chuckled.

"I can't remember a thing."

She lied as she purposely avoided looking at Rick, who appeared to be disappointed at her statement; he thought that if she had remembered, they could at least _talk _about it to help him sort through the confusion. Michonne was already feeling guilty for kissing Rick; she knew it was not fair on him because she knew how he felt about her. She was also not ready admit her own feelings for him, so she would act like she did not recall what happened rather than admit it, and maybe hurt Rick in the process of getting her own shit together. Then there was Mike; she still cared for him, even though she felt who he had been when they first met was slipping away quickly. Michonne just wished things could be simple.

"Did you puke?" Asked Carl, not looking up from his sandwich as he put three slices of cheese on it.

"Carl." Rick warned. "Don't go askin' ladies things like that."

The teenager rolled his eyes before saying that he was sorry, then taking a bite from his food.

"It's okay, and no I didn't puke. But after I eat one of your dad's sandwiches, we could have a problem."

"Hey!" Exclaimed Rick, pretending to be offended as he passed the plate to her. "You never complained about my food before."

"Aww, I'm sorry Grimesy, I'm just playin'. You know I love you, right?"

In that moment Michonne and Rick went quiet as they both looked at each other knowingly. The last thing she absentmindedly uttered she had said several times before, the most recent time being moments before she kissed Rick. After what transpired between them, there would be something different now when she said it, as if the meaning had somehow changed from a phrase one said to a close friend to _something more_. It immediately took both their minds back to their tryst from the previous night. It was in that moment that realization befell Rick as he could always read her like a book; he knew for certain she _did_ remember their encounter and that she was lying to him, he just did not know why. A number of reasons as to why were spinning around in his mind. Was she regretting it? Did it mean nothing to her that he had genuinely said _I love you_? Was she upset with him for seemingly rejecting her advances? Was she just trying to get back at Mike by using him? The easy-going mood in the kitchen changed quickly as Rick glared at Michonne, who averted her eyes and tried hopelessly to continue with her subterfuge. He did not know what to think as the old familiar feelings of inadequacy crept back over him, but this time, he was not feeling sorry for himself; he was irked. After everything they had been through, it annoyed him that she would think that what they said and what they did meant so little to her that it warranted fake amnesia. Rick stood and pushed his chair in before saying to Michonne, sounding more hurt than he meant to:

"Yeah? Well you've got a funny way of showin' it."

"What?" She asked, a little shocked by the shift in his tone but still denying her knowledge of his meaning. "What are you talking about, Rick?"

"Oh come on, Michonne, I'm not a stupid son of a bitch; you know what I'm talkin' 'bout. You just gonna sit there and deny it?"

Carl looked at both of them in a confused manner; they were fine a minute ago, now it seemed his father and his father's _friend _were arguing.

Michonne rubbed her eyes with the palms of her hands simultaneously before glancing at Rick who stood with his arms crossed.

"Rick, can we not…"

"Carl, go to your room, now!" Rick interrupted, not taking his eyes off her while his son complied with his request.

"Can we not what? Talk about what happened last night? About what we said and did?" He asked, tilting his head to the side and narrowing his eyes.

"You really gonna try to pretend to _me_, of all people that you were too drunk to remember?"

She sat quietly and let her head fall which served to aggravate Rick further.

"Shit, Michonne! Look at me when I'm talkin' to you!" He exclaimed loudly, causing her to jump a little at his abruptness.

"Jesus, Rick. You don't have to fuckin' yell at me! I don't know what I was thinking, okay? I'm really confused right now!" She said, raising her voice while standing from her seated position; a look of despair crossing her beautiful features.

Rick immediately felt bad and went on to apologize to her for his short temper.

"No, you don't owe me an apology. I'm the one who should be sorry; my head's a mess."

Rick began to close the distance between them, standing in front of her before continuing to speak.

"Why is it a mess?" He asked, sadly searching her eyes. "What's got you like this? You ususally know what you want, 'Chonne. What's different now?"

"I don't know." She offered quietly. "Everything. The way we are together. The way you are. The things you say and do. You've got me twisted up inside, Rick."

They both remained silent for a short while, staring into one another's eyes before Rick decided to speak again.

"Did you mean it, last night? When you said that to me?" He asked, a little scared of her answer.

Michonne, looked away a moment then returned her gaze to Rick.

"Yes." She whispered. "It's true. It's been true for a long time, but it was never the _right _time."

"What about now?" He said, in a whisper of his own.

"It's still not the right time. Before, you were married, and now, I have Mike. I just can't walk out on him when he's not in a good place. He needs me."

"What about me, uh? Don't you think I need you too?" Rick asked, anguish evident in his voice as he furrowed his brows.

"Rick, please don't do this." She pleaded, as the tears began to well in her eyes.

"How are you just gonna deny whatever this is between us? How are you gonna walk out on me?" He queried, his own eyes becoming glassy.

"I'll always be here for you…"

"But just not like that?" Referring to them taking their relationship into the realm of a romantic one. "Even though you know how I feel? Even though _I know_ you feel the same?"

Rick did not think he could stand to see Michonne every day, after having known the feel of her kiss and be forced to hold back. No, not now. She offered no reply, but quickly wiped the tear that ran down her cheek.

"I think you'd better go." He said as he stepped back from Michonne and turned his back to her.

"Rick, don't…"

"I'll drop you off at home, but we probably shouldn't be spendin' too much time together anymore; don't wanna confuse things any more than they already are. Wouldn't wanna fuckin' hurt Mike or anything. I'll be in the car."

With that, he walked out of the backdoor and let it slam shut loudly. Michonne covered her face and let the small little sobs escape from her mouth.

* * *

><p>AN: Aww, I hate to have to write them upset at each other, but it's all part of their journey.

Do you think Rick's overreacting a little? Or does he have the right to be pissed off at her?

Do you think Michonne should to be loyal to Mike when denying her feelings is just hurting her and Rick?

We're nearly back to the present time, just need to explain what happened with Michonne and Mike. More to come…

Now, for some reason I feel like I need a hug and a ham sandwich!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: This is where we find out what happened to Michonne and Mike; this was hard to write and is very dark. I almost backed out, but it needs to be told; not even sure if I liked it. Argh, sorry: here goes…

Warning: Mature content and depictions of domestic violence.

* * *

><p>18 Months Ago<p>

Carl and Rick ate their dinner in silence; the boy had heard everything his father and Michonne said from where he was perched upon the staircase. He watched Rick and felt worried at his father's sullen expression; it was the same one he wore when Lori had left them. Suddenly, Rick's phone began to ring; he removed it from his pocket, saw Michonne's name on the screen and swiftly rejected the call before placing the phone on the table.

"Dad, aren't ya gonna talk to her?" Carl asked, knowing it was her calling, yet again; he was becoming deeply concerned.

"Yeah, son. Just not right now." He offered wearily.

The phone then vibrated on the tabletop as Rick received a text message from Michonne that read:

_Rick, I'm sorry. I didn't want 2 hurt u. Can u answer the phone pls?_

He pinched the bridge of his nose before deleting the message.

xXxXxXx

16 Months Ago

Carl sat at the dinner table with his arms crossed and an annoyed expression on his face; their guest for the evening was hanging on every word that Rick was saying, obviously taken with him. After many attempts at trying to get a date with him, suddenly, in an attempt to get on with his life and stop thinking about a certain _friend_ so much, he called Sharon, and asked her out. She worked at the barber's shop and had cut Rick's hair for a number of years and always flirted with him. Rick thought, _why not? _He called her and she invited herself to dinner, thinking that they would be spending time alone; but Carl, after finding out that his father was _dating_ someone who was not _Michonne, _changed his plans and stuck around. He played the part of the moody teenager well as he rolled his eyes whenever she laughed at something his father had said. He was not being overly rude, as Rick would not stand for that type of behaviour, more so indifferent and disinterested. He would try to find any opportunity to bring up Michonne's name in the conversation.

"Dad?" Carl asked while there was a lull in the banter as Sharon took a small drink from her glass of Shiraz.

"Can I go see Michonne tomorrow? She brought back some really cool comic books from her Atlanta trip for me."

Rick looked at his son and nodded; looking a little sad at the mention of her name.

"I didn't know she went." He added, trying not to seem too concerned about her movements.

"Yeah, she just got back today." He offered looking happy for the first time that evening. "She texted me a picture of what she brought back, Dad! Looks awesome. I can't wait to see her."

Rick smiled at the excitement and endearment in his son's eyes; he knew Carl was finding it difficult now that Michonne did not spend as much time with them as before, as Rick had requested. He was not so petty to limit their access to each other, as he knew that their bond was strong and they loved one another deeply.

"Oh, Carl." Sharon interjected, much to the boy's dismay. "Is that your girlfriend? And she bought you presents? That's so cute."

Carl looked at Sharon incredulously before rolling his eyes again.

"No, actually, _Sheryl_. She's my _Dad's_ girlfriend!" He spat.

"Carl!" Rick chastised, as his son actively ignored him before standing.

"They're havin' a rough time right now, but they'll get back together so I wouldn't be gettin' too comfortable if I were you."

Carl then stomped away up to his bedroom and Rick looked apologetically at Sharon; he knew this would be the first and last date they shared.

xXxXxXx

12 Months Ago

It had been more difficult than Rick and Michonne thought it would be, to distance themselves from one another, but they had done so. While they remained civil and saw each other at work, they spent less and less time together over the past several months. Michonne was still close with Carl, but her friendship with Rick was still strained because of her ongoing relationship with Mike, whose addiction had gotten so bad that Michonne had to have him sent to a drug rehabilitation centre. She had spent most of her time working herself into the ground and focussing her time on saving Mike from himself; all in an effort not to think about how badly she missed Rick in her life. She pushed her feelings for Rick into the deepest recesses of her heart, causing her affections for Mike to grow stronger. She thought she loved Mike, but if she was being honest, she loved the idea of being with him and of being the one who was to drag him out of his own Hell. To make a difference in his life, and she had; he was returning home that very day to the home he and Michonne shared. Her only hope was that he was better; that his time spent away helped him to get his life back together.

xXxXxXx

5 Months Ago

Michonne sat on the edge of the bathtub in her small, clean bathroom. Her heart felt heavy and her eyes stung from crying; she felt so overwhelmed. When she had thought about her life, this is not how she imagined it would be. She had different plans; plans that did not involve being emotionally drained and left feeling alone. She blamed herself, of course, for choosing this life; for choosing Mike. It seemed no matter how many times she tried to be there for him, to get him to stop his substance abuse, he just slipped further along his downward spiral. She had opened her heart to him and allowed herself to love him and all the while he was determined to put her in second place. Michonne used the back of her right hand to wipe a stray tear from her face as she looked down at Mike's glass pipe. In her other hand she held the plastic home pregnancy test that read positive. She stood and threw both of them in the small, white bin.

xXxXxXx

Mike seemed agitated later that evening; he could not find his pipe and became increasingly moody. While Michonne did not want to have a certain conversation with him then and there, she knew it needed to be done. She found him in their small kitchen going through the drawers almost frantically.

"Mike?" She started. "We need to talk."

He did not turn around and continued rummaging.

"Mike?"

"Oh what do you want, now? Can't you see I'm busy?" He snapped, before turning to glare at her.

"Seriously? How about watchin' the way you speak to me, uh?" She reprimanded, a stern look crossing her face.

"Sorry, babe. I'm just stressed." He said, as he tried not to fidget around too much from his withdrawals. "What's up?"

She motioned for him to take a seat at the kitchen table with her while she mentally prepared herself for what she was going to tell him. She exhaled loudly and began to speak.

"Look, I'm just gonna come right out and say this. You need to help, I know you've been using and it's becoming a problem again."

"Are you really accusing me?" He spat, trying to deny what she already knew to be true.

His skin had once again become pock marked, his mood swings were frequent, he was incoherent most days and money had been taken from Michonne's purse several times; even if she had not found his pipe, she knew the signs already.

"Don't lie to me, Mike. I know you're lookin' for your pipe, but it's too late. I threw it away." She said evenly as his eyes narrowed.

"What the fuck did you go and do that for?" He asked, venom in his voice.

"It has to stop, Mike. I can't keep doin' this dance with you. Don't you care about yourself? Don't you care enough about me? I'm fucking pregnant! I won't bring a child into this shit storm!" She yelled, not meaning to tell him of her current situation; in her frustration she let it slip out.

"Why the fuck did you go and get yourself pregnant you dumb bitch!" Mike screamed, as he stood suddenly overcome with rage.

"Get myself pregnant?" She repeated, slightly surprised by his remark.

"I don't want kids with you! I'm not doing this with you! I have my _own_ kids that I'm not allowed to see because of another stupid bitch. Fuck this shit. I'm not havin' anything to do with no fuckin' baby! Or you!"

Michonne stood in shock; she could not move and began to shake from the hurtful things Mike was saying. She knew, somehow, that it was not just his addiction talking, he meant it. Mike slammed his fist down on the table, which caused Michonne to jump and back away from the enraged man before her. Mike closed his eyes tightly and breathed in and out rapidly, balling his hands into fists. He looked at Michonne with such distain and disgust in his eyes that it scared her.

"Where's my fuckin' pipe, bitch?" He said, in a manner that was so quiet that it was frightening.

Michonne did not answer, she could only think of where she could escape to if he tried to hurt her. Mike walked nearer to her and stood so close that she could feel his breath on her face.

"Where the fuck is my shit!"

He yelled loudly at Michonne and grabbed her shoulders in an attempt to push her against the wall. Shaking her violently and squeezing her arms so tightly that it caused her pain. Her fight instincts immediately came into effect as she used her right knee and forced it to make hard contact with his crotch. Mike doubled over in pain because of the impact and Michonne used the opportunity to run out of the front door and into the street. She found her phone and quickly called the police.

xXxXxXx

The evening had turned out to be seemingly uneventful and the two men were almost done with their shift. Rick and his partner Artie were in their squad car when dispatch offered the address of the domestic disturbance call they had received. Rick thought he had heard incorrectly, so picked up his receiver and asked for the address to be repeated. His heart sank when it was confirmed that the disturbance was in progress at Michonne's residence. Rick turned on the sirens and lights and sped off into the direction of her home; all the while fearing the worse. He knew it would only be a matter of time before Mike's substance abuse proved to be dangerous for Michonne, but now, he could only hope that she was alright.

As the squad car pulled up outside of Michonne's house with a loud screech, Rick jumped out of it quickly and frantically before Artie could remove his seatbelt and scanned the area for her. A number of her neighbours were out the front of their houses listening to the smashing and crashing sounds coming from inside where Mike was in a rage, and destroying Michonne's property. Before Rick could focus his gaze, Michonne came running toward him, visibly upset. He breathed a sigh of relief that she was not currently inside of the premises and sprinted over to her. Michonne instinctively threw her arms over Rick's shoulders and held him in an embrace; he wrapped his arms about her waist and felt her shaking before reluctantly letting her go. Artie threw them an odd glance before letting Rick know he was going in to detain Mike; Rick told Michonne to stand clear and wait for them to bring him out.

Both officers brought Mike down without too much trouble; Rick made sure to offer him a few quick and hard elbows to the stomach before letting his partner cuff him and walk him out to the car. Artie was to take Mike back to the station while Rick told the nosy neighbours to go back to their homes and stayed with a still very shaky Michonne. She almost cried when she saw the state that her house was in; picture frames, vases, cabinets and ornaments were broken and thrown about the living room; her television set was on the floor; there were several holes punched into the walls; the kitchen drawers were ripped out and emptied; and her crockery was smashed.

Rick noticed that Michonne was on the verge of tears and offered gently:

"Hey, hey. It's okay, I'm here now."

He grabbed her hand and led her to her bedroom, where no damage was done. They both sat down on the bed, and Michonne looked almost embarrassed that it was Rick that had responded to her call.

"Are you alright?" He asked softly, taking a moment to relish in her presence.

Michonne nodded but remained quiet.

"What happened, 'Chonne? Did he touch you? I swear to Christ if he touched you…"

"He went off over his pipe after I confronted him about using again. He was irate, got in my face, shook me and tried to push me against the wall."

"Mother fucker!" Rick spat as he stood and started pacing.

"I kneed him in the balls and ran." She said as she looked at Rick.

"I'm okay, Rick. I really am, I'm just a little shook up. Please, come sit back down."

Rick looked at her pleading eyes and returned to where he was seated. Michonne reached over and took his hand, she could feel it trembling ever so slightly.

"I ain't tryin' to tell you what to do, but you have to see…" He began before she cut him off.

"You don't even have to say it, Rick. That's it, I'm done. He can get his shit and get the fuck out of my house."

Rick nodded before saying, "Good."

xXxXxXx

Carl hugged Michonne tightly when she and Rick arrived at the Grimes residence later in the evening after they had both went to the station so that she could make a statement. Rick insisted that she stay at his house, and to his surprise, she agreed to it without a second thought. As much as she tried to hide it, Michonne had always felt safe with Rick. She had missed both he and Carl so much, and was relieved to be back with them after keeping her distance the past few months. Rick was pleased that she was safe and close enough so that he could watch over her. He offered her his bed, she protested, to no avail, and Rick set up his blanket on the couch. Before he turned in for the night, he went to check on Michonne one last time. He knocked softly on the bedroom door before she said quietly:

"Come in."

He opened the door slowly and stood with his hand still on the doorknob.

"Sorry to be annoyin'. Just wanted to see if you needed anything." He asked.

Michonne was seated on his bed; she smiled weakly at Rick thankful he was still the same caring man he had always been.

"You're not annoying. I'm fine, Rick. Thank you. Thank you for everything." She said, looking sad again before patting the space beside her, urging him to take a seat. Rick closed the door behind himself sat beside her.

"I'm such a dickhead!" She finally said. "I wasted so much time and energy on him, and this is how he treats me. I almost ruined our friendship because of him. I'm so fucking stupid!"

"Don't say that about yourself." Rick offered soothingly.

"No, I'm a piece of shit! I treated you like shit and here you are, taking care of me again. I don't deserve this. I'm sorry."

"Michonne, you deserve everything. I just wish you could see that. I'm tellin' you right now; don't let this keep you down. It's not gonna be easy, but you're better off without him. Don't let him hurt you anymore. Losing someone, even someone who treats you badly, it hurts; but don't go blamin' yourself. I've been there before. Just remember, I'm here for you."

Michonne began to cry as she listened to Rick's words. She could barely believe, after everything that had happened between them, he was still willing to be supportive of her.

"Why are you so good to me, Rick?" She asked, looking into his eyes.

"I see you, Michonne. I see who you are and I can't help it; you bring out the good in me. Now try to get some sleep."

With that, Rick bid her goodnight and made his way to the couch. Sleep did not find Rick Grimes easily that night. He was thinking about Michonne again and admitted to himself that time had changed nothing; he loved her still. She was back in his life, and he was going to show her more patience than he did before. Rick would wait for her, for as long as it took for her to realize that this is where she belonged; with him and Carl.

xXxXxXx

4 Months Ago

Rick flicked through the glossy magazine quickly, not really taking much notice of what was contained in it; there were a lot of advertisements for women's beauty products and celebrity gossip. He had always hated sitting in waiting rooms; he always found it rather awkward being seated too closely to strangers. They always seemed so sterile as well, making Rick feel uncomfortable. He found the stares of strangers uncomfortable also; he was the only male in the area, and there was a woman who looked to be in her late fifties sitting alone directly across from him and Michonne. She would occasionally look up from what she was reading and glance over at them as Michonne had her eyes closed, arm hooked through Rick's and her head resting on his shoulder. She was emotionally drained and slightly tired from the three hour trip that she and Rick had taken to the nearest abortion clinic. When they finally called her name, Rick put down the magazine, helped her to stand as she let her hand slide down his arm and into his hand. He gave it a reassuring squeeze, looked into her eyes and placed a gentle kiss to her brow; silently wishing that his friend's life was not going to be filled with grief and tough decisions for much longer.

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><p>AN: Sorry about all of that, I realise it was heavy, but I needed to get that part of the story done. I apologise if some of the content was difficult for readers. Michonne did not come to her decision to have an abortion lightly, no woman ever does. It just was not the right time for her and not the right circumstances. Just glad that Rick was there to support her.

I make no moral judgements and this is not a social commentary, however, I have to say that methamphetamine is a horrible drug; I've seen it ruin lives and change people I've known into violent, unrecognisable shadows of their former selves. So I guess I need to make it loud and clear; JUST SAY NO.

Argh, I need a hug…

Back to the present day in the next instalment! I promise some Richonne cuteness again now that the awful stuff is over. Thanks for sticking with me!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Okay. Wow, I am really pleased (but not surprised) by the reviews, dear readers. Thank you all so much for engaging in some truly thoughtful and honest dialogue. You are all so wonderful and I enjoy hearing about how you've enjoyed my stories.

I wanted to address the issue of the abortion and cover some things that went unsaid in the last chapter; a few of you have mentioned that it seemed like Michonne would lose the baby as a repercussion of Mike's abuse. The thought crossed my mind to write it that way, or maybe even have her keep it, but I realised Mike is dealing with his own demons about losing his children. Maybe he didn't mean to say horrible things, maybe it was the drugs; but he is in no way, shape or form ready to be a father again, not in his state. I also feel he has no right to have any say over Michonne and her body. **So he can eff off already! **I think it speaks a lot to her character for it to be on _her_ terms, not because of the abuse. While it is still a horrible experience to go through, she made the right decision for herself and Rick respected it and supported her through it all. They really have been there for each other through the bad days.

_I had to get rid of what I had written here before, because it totally distracted readers from the story! If anyone was interested in discussing it further, come over to Tumblr where I'll post it. Thanks guest and those who sent me a PM for having your say, but I realise now here is not the place. No one even mentioned how cute Richonne are :/_

Almost forgot, go Carl! He's such a shipper too lol Sorry this chapter is short...

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><p><em>Every long lost dream led me to where you are…<em>

_xXxXxXx_

Present Day

_Still not deterred by her aloofness regarding his obvious endearment toward her, he stated evenly and clearly before hanging up the phone:_

_"__I'd love to share every day with you."_

Before Michonne could garner a response for Rick, he was gone from the other end of the line. Already feeling in better spirits, she was left smiling and thinking about what the day spent with Rick would bring. Even though she had not initially wanted to venture outside, Rick had talked her around. Michonne then made her way to the bathroom where she stood in front of the mirror staring at her own reflection wondering what it was that Rick saw in her that kept him coming back; after everything that had happened, he still had not forsaken her. Michonne pulled her hair away from her face and smoothed the skin under her eyes; she no longer felt that tired after their conversation, and it was evident in her appearance. She undressed and stepped in the shower, letting the water gradually energize her as it washed away the last traces of lethargy from her being. Michonne ran the oatmeal soap over her mahogany skin and her thoughts turned to Rick Grimes. When she was alone, in her most private moments, she let these types of thoughts about Rick invade her consciousness; it was a guilty pleasure for her, because sometimes, when in complete solitude, her mind would wander to fantasies that she never told anyone.

She would find herself thinking about doing things with Rick. She thought about doing very ordinary things with him, actually; standing in line at the supermarket talking about how nice it would have been to get bananas, but how she just could not justify the price these days; waiting for him to hand her the dishes he had just washed so that she might dry them and pack them away; snuggling close together on the couch in the darkened living room watching Game of Thrones while he pretended to be interested in all of the blood and sex and swearing; sharing the bathroom mirror in the morning while he shaved and she, without effort, fixed her hair; arguing over what music to play in the car on short and long road trips; and waking up beside each other noticing that one had let the other steal all of the blankets through the night. Michonne smiled to herself as she thought about what it all meant; what _every_ day with Rick could bring. He already made her feel so special. He reminded her of what she was worth when she forgot about who she was; when that little voice inside of her tried to drag her down with hurtful words and painful memories. He made her feel goofy; he made her laugh so hard that her face would be screwed up beyond recognition and her arms would flail around in the air as if she were being tossed about by an invisible, strong wind. He made her feel safe, and at the same time so scared because if she lost him, she could not come back from it. She pushed her fears aside, in that moment and saw it for what it was. One day with Rick was not going to be enough anymore, she finally admitted to herself that she wanted _every _day with him because it felt right; it felt like _home._

xXxXxXx

Michonne sat under the shade of a large tree on the grass that was in the middle on the Town Square. She wore dark skinny jeans, brown sandals, a turquoise strapless top, her hair in two ponytails at the side of head and a straw hat. Her large dark sunglasses allowed her to secretly watch all of the tourists who were taking delight in the festivities and swaying, nodding and dancing away to the country music that wafted through the air. A stage was set up where the performances were taking place; it was a nice atmosphere and Michonne was actually glad that she had ventured out with Rick, regardless of whether or not the music appealed to her. She really did love just being around him and always felt better in his presence.

He finally returned with their coffees, handed both beverages to Michonne before sitting next to her; she placed his cup in front of him and continued watching the tourists. She realized that Rick looked as if he fit right in with the festival crowd. He was wearing a blue snap button shirt, blue jeans, his dusty old boots and a white Stetson on his head. Michonne thought to herself that he looked quite handsome and the blue shirt brought out his eyes; she felt the familiar fluttering in her stomach again as she observed him while he sipped the coffee and looked out over the crowd.

"You look great." She offered suddenly, smiling a little at him. Rick returned the smile and tossed the blade of grass he had plucked from the ground.

"Thanks. Just threw this together. Gotta blend in ya know." He joked. "But you look amazing, as always."

He said playfully. "Just wish I could see your eyes. Seriously, how big are those sunglasses?"

Michonne laughed loudly at Rick's observation.

"Stop! Grimesy, I need to be inconspicuous if I'm gonna be spying on tourists for shits and giggles."

Now it was his turn to laugh uproariously at her comment.

"You make a terrible spy." He offered.

"Oh really? And why is that, uh? My disguise is pretty awesome, dude. I know this is not as good as yours," she gestured to her hat. "But it's still _country_!"

"Country my ass!" He exclaimed as she chuckled once more, both thoroughly enjoying the easy exchange.

"This," he said as he pointed to himself. "Is country."

They both laughed again before Michonne went on to say how, while she did not look as country as Rick did, she certainly could fit in to the crowd of tourists; as some of them did not look like they belonged either. She then proceeded to renounce his claim that she would make a poor spy. Rick went on to explain his reasoning to her.

"You ain't inconspicuous, Michonne. You don't get it, you're gorgeous and people notice you. So there ya go, that's why you'd be a bad spy; too beautiful to fade into the background. Me, right, I could walk through that crowd right now and ya wouldn't even be able to pick me out. If you walked over there, everyone else would just disappear. You're all I'd be able to see. Hell, you're all I do see."

There it was again; an admission of how truly smitten Rick was with her. She smiled shyly and fought the urge to lean over and place her lips against his.

"Rick, you shouldn't say things like that; you're making it very hard for me not to kiss you." She said, trying to make it sound light and joking, but it came out sincere and warm.

Rick let out a small chortle and instinctively glanced at her mouth before saying bravely:

"Go ahead, ya know I won't stop you."

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><p>AN: Sorry to leave it there; but there's more to come…


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Thanks for the reviews everyone: CarmelMuse, KyannaLashae, niklovr, Alex311, HeartoSteel, literaturechick, Nay766, Guest and Mrs. KayDeeEmm your reviews give me life! Everyone else who has read, followed and made this fic a favourite, thank you! I do appreciate you all. Now, I'm sorry to be so mean and for cutting the story off just as it was getting to the good part hehehe but, fear not for we are starting where we left off…Right now! Enjoy.

Warning: this is some fluffy shite right here!

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><p><em>Others who broke my heart they were like Northern stars<br>Pointing me on my way into your loving arms…_

_xXxXxXx_

Rick waited nervously wishing she would remove those large sunglasses so he might gaze into her eyes; he was anxious to see how Michonne would proceed. He hoped that he was not being too forward with his friend and would inadvertently ruin the moment they were having by giving voice to what his desires were; for Michonne to kiss him. She remained quiet for a few seconds, which actually felt like minutes to him.

"Okay." was all she said before offering Rick an almost shy grin, taking off her glasses and shuffling closer to him.

He felt fluttering in his stomach as his heart rate quickened; she was really going to do it. Michonne reached over and removed the Stetson from Rick's head and placed it on the ground; she used her hand to fix his hair a little. They were so close now that Rick was captivated by her scent and her eyes that were locked intensely on to his. He did not move, despite the fact that he wanted to take hold of her and cover her mouth with his own; but he wanted _her_ to initiate the contact, much like she did the night so long ago in an inebriated state. He wanted _her _to want it; to want him. After everything that had transpired between the both of them, he needed her to be ready to take this step. Goodness knew that Rick was ready; he had been ready to shift their friendship to something more for some time now. He was just waiting for her, and now, it seemed, his patience was about to pay off.

Michonne brought her hand to his face and gently rubbed her soft fingers over his stubble; Rick smiled at her slightly, thinking about how coy and tender she was being with him at that moment. She offered him a grin of her own, looked from his eyes to his mouth then leaned towards him. Their lips met awkwardly at first because Rick was smiling. Michonne slowly pulled away, her eyes still closed and scolded him playfully.

"Rick, stop smiling and let me kiss you." She whispered.

He beamed again then complied with her wishes. Their lips came in contact again and fit together perfectly as Michonne opened her mouth slightly and their tongues met softly and sweetly. They broke the kiss and Rick rested his forehead to Michonne's; letting a relieved grin play on his face. They stayed that way a moment longer before she shifted, looked happily at Rick and started speaking.

"So, Rick Day totally feels like a date now." She said, chuckling briefly while Rick nodded in agreement.

"Yes, ma'am. Best Rick Day ever." He said cheerfully and earnestly.

xXxXxXx

Once they had finished lunch at one of the cafés that was not packed with tourists, Rick and Michonne decided that they would peruse the market stalls that had been set up near the shop fronts; it had become difficult to move past the stalls with ease as both tourists and locals congregated near the tables of items. Rick took the liberty of holding Michonne's hand as they made their way through the crowd; guiding her through the sea of bodies that were vying to hold their ground in the almost mad rush. Michonne held on to Rick's hand just as firmly as he held hers and felt secure in knowing that he did not want to be separated from her, if even for a moment. The simple gesture showed that they each felt responsible for one another; that they each meant something to one another; that they _belonged_ to one another.

It was clear to anyone who saw the two of them now that they were together; they had finally agreed that their friendship was more than a friendship and that they were both done with pretending any longer. They were already so comfortable in each other's presence and their feelings for each other were simply too strong to deny it further; the kiss they shared earlier had just sealed the deal. Rick and Michonne were going to give being in a relationship a chance. She reasoned happily that not too much would change, since they already spent most every waking hour together. Rick, however, thought briefly about the aspect that _would_ change; the physical aspect. He let his mind wander to how splendid it was going to be to feel and taste Michonne completely; a fantasy that finally appeared to be coming to fruition. Something that was quickly approaching as the day wore on. Rick knew once they were alone, he would scarcely be able to concentrate on much else; his desire for her was becoming stronger as the minutes passed. He pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind and watched her as she inspected items on one of the tables.

Many of the traders had travelled from out of the County to sell their wares and were keen to chat to locals as well as tourists. Michonne particularly liked looking at the handmade craft and jewelry; there was always something special to be discovered if one took the time to look. She picked up a small wooden box from the table of trinkets, ornaments and keepsakes and examined it closely. Her eyes lit up as she turned to Rick and began to speak.

"I love it!" She exclaimed brightly. "I had one like it when I was little."

Rick gestured for Michonne to hand the box to him so that he might see what all the fuss was about. The box was simple varnished wood, quite plain with the exception of a multi-colored cat with an arched back that was painted on the lid. He looked over at her and grinned amusedly as he thought of all of her small quirks that he found absolutely adorable; her fondness of cats being one of the quirks. Rick turned his attention to the vender and asked him how much the box cost before reaching into the back pocket of his jeans to retrieve his wallet.

"Oh, Rick, you don't have to pay for it."Michonne started. "I don't even know if I want it."

"Yeah, yeah. I can tell by your eyes that you want it. You look at me the same way!" Rick said playfully, causing the salesman to chuckle and Michonne to slap his arm.

"Whatever, dude! You wish." Was her reply as she watched Rick give the man the money for the jewelry box before handing it to her in the small brown paper bag. She smiled at Rick and mouthed a sincere 'thank you' to him.

The salesperson at the next stall, a girl in her late teens was watching their interaction and chimed in as Rick and Michonne began to walk away; Michonne pleased with her jewelry box and Rick pleased that he could make her happy.

"Excuse me ma'am." The young lady said to Michonne, who stopped walking and throwing side-glances at Rick so she could see what the stranger wanted.

"I see your boyfriend bought you somethin' nice there; maybe you should repay the favour?"

Michonne looked at her, intrigued as to where she was going with this, but knowing she was trying to make a sale.

"Maybe I should." She offered as she looked over the merchandise which was mainly clothing and other apparel. "Any ideas?"

Rick stood quietly as the teenager gave him the once over.

"Well, he looks okay, for an old guy." She started, much to Michonne's amusement and Rick's chagrin. "But maybe you could grab him a shirt, something more stylish."

Michonne noticed Rick was a little annoyed that they were talking about him like he was not standing right there so she hooked her arm in his, causing him to turn his head towards her. Michonne continued to speak to the young woman.

"Hmm, I get what you're sayin' but honestly, I don't care 'bout what's 'in style'; I just like the way he smiles." Michonne said as she placed a noisy and over exaggerated kiss to Rick's cheek, causing him to share that smile she loved so much before she went on to say:

"Ooh, but I will take that."

She pointed to the item and Rick looked at her questioningly.

"It's for Carl." Michonne explained as she paid the girl and took the bag and item from her.

They walked a little further until they were away from the crowded stalls. Rick swinging the bag with Carl's gift in his left hand, while holding Michonne's hand with his right one. He stopped suddenly before starting to speak.

"So." He began. "Carl always get a present, and I miss out…again."

He pretended to look wounded so that Michonne might take pity on him.

"Oh stop it, you big baby. You'll get your present _later._" She offered flirtatiously and Rick caught her meaning right away.

He pulled her towards him, causing a high pitched giggle to escape from her mouth before he silenced her with a deliciously greedy kiss that was all clashing lips and lapping tongues. Michonne looked at him with what could only be described as lust in her eyes before offering, almost breathlessly:

"Well, we should get goin' back to your place now."

Rick nodded in agreement and they both walked hastily towards his car; anxious to get home and see where the journey would lead them to next.

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><p>AN: So, they've finally taken the step and defined the relationship! It was only a matter of time since their friendship was so organic and easy-going.

Michonne's like: "Aww but it'll be the same as before because I already spend so much time with you."

And Rick's like: "You won't be saying that later when I lay it on you good!"

Argh, I lurve them...

I hope you all enjoyed the cuteness before I move on to the *cough* adult situations!


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Oh my goodness, thanks for the reviews. I'm glad you all survived the fluff overload! Sometimes I just want it to be fluffy all the effing time, but now we have arrived at the adult situation!

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><p>The afternoon sun was still high in the sky as Rick and Michonne travelled home. The drive back to the Grimes residence was comfortably quiet; Michonne sat humming one of the songs that she had heard throughout the day while Rick smiled to himself. He could hardly believe what had happened and felt terrified for a brief moment that he would awaken from a dream. Yet, it was not a dream; it was all very real, and Rick quickly realized, as they pulled into his driveway, it was about to become even more real.<p>

Rick almost dropped the backdoor keys with anticipation; after succeeding to unlock the door, he held it for Michonne as she walked in carrying the bag containing Carl's gift and headed for the living room. Rick tossed his hat onto the table, kicked off his boots, removed his socks, washed his hands in the kitchen sink and filled a glass with water; he drank the contents of the glass hastily and made his way into the room where Michonne was.

Rick stood in the doorway and watched her remove her footwear and change her two ponytails into one at the top of her head as she checked her appearance in the oval-shaped mirror that hung on the far wall. She had her back to Rick and he now had a good view of her perfect shoulders, slender neck and delicious skin. He ambled over to Michonne and stood behind her; they both smiled as they glanced at each other's reflection in the mirror. Rick could not contain himself and ran his fingers lightly over her shoulders and down her arms before placing gentle kisses where his fingers had just been. Michonne shivered from the contact causing Rick to smile against her as he wrapped his arms around her small waist as he moved his mouth to her neck. Rick nibbled, licked and sucked her skin as he inhaled her intoxicating scent; he watched her eyes roll shut and grinned at the small sound that she made.

Michonne then turned around to face Rick; their lips meeting in a deep kiss as his hands squeezed her backside. He marvelled at how her round behind felt just as good as it looked. Totally lost in the moment, Rick allowed Michonne to walk him backwards while not breaking their embrace, and shove him gently to the couch. He grinned up at her as she then straddled his lap before running her fingers through his curls and kissing his lips chastely. Michonne continued to stroke his hair while she stared into his deep blue eyes. Rick looked at her and wondered why she had stopped and what she was doing just staring at him. He panicked a moment and thought that she may have changed her mind.

"What is it?" He asked huskily, running his fingers over her back gently.

She smiled at him, causing him to grin back at her.

"Your eyes." She started. "I never noticed how blue they are. They're really nice."

"Thank you." He said almost shyly.

"I have got to be the luckiest chick in this town right now. Have you seen yourself? Dude, you are so fuckin' hot!" Michonne said as she traced her index finger over Rick's lips.

He let out a laugh, always finding it adorable when she just blurted out what she was really thinking.

"You just figurin' that out now, uh?" He asked playfully.

Now she chortled.

"Nah, I kinda had an inkling that you were; besides, Sharon at the barbershop totally tells everyone that you're hot, so it's no secret, Grimesy."

"Shush you." Rick said a little embarrassed and screwed his face up.

"Sorry. But anyways, it's just different when we're this close, I can't help but notice." She offered.

Rick nodded in understanding before saying:

"Yeah I know, and I'm the lucky one, Michonne. You're beautiful."

With that Rick pressed his lips against hers, amazed at how full they were and relishing in the feeling of her warm tongue on his. Michonne broke the kiss and looked at him again before speaking.

"Rick?"

"Yes?"

"Can I see it?" She queried before he interrupted her.

"Yeah, just let me get out of these jeans and you can do whatever you like with it." He said half-jokingly.

She slapped his chest playfully.

"Slow down, cowboy. All in good time. I meant your scar, from when you were shot." She asked.

Rick looked at her a little surprised by her request.

"Didn't I ever show you?" He asked, not sure if he had or not.

She shook her head to say no.

"Nope, never. I never asked before." Was her reply.

Rick nodded quietly before asking Michonne to shift her position so that he could stand up. She sat on the couch and watched him unbutton his shirt; he opened the garment slightly and exposed the scarred skin on his lower left abdomen so that she could see it. The scar was small and from a single gunshot wound Rick has sustained in the line of duty some ten years ago. It was a clean shot and the bullet went right through; he thought he was going to die that day.

Michonne motioned for Rick to step closer to her and she ran her fingers over the area softly. She looked up at him with a sad expression on her face.

"It's okay." He said to her, realizing that she was most likely thinking about his mortality.

Michonne forced herself to stop thinking about how Rick had nearly died, and how she was fortunate to have had the chance to meet him and have him in her life. She nodded, smiled and traced her fingers over his scar again; she then placed a gentle kiss to the area before standing up. Michonne ran both of her hands over Rick's chest, before moving them up to his shoulders. His lean body felt firm and warm. She then proceeded to push his shirt back in an effort to relieve him of the item of clothing. He realized what she was doing and quickly shed it himself while standing before her shirtless. Michonne let her hands roam over his arms, shoulders, chest and abdomen before pressing her body flush against his and drawing him into another deep kiss.

Whilst continuing to embrace, Michonne pulled Rick down onto the couch with her so that he was hovering over top of her as she spanned the length of the seat; one of her legs hung off to the side as Rick positioned himself in between them. He lifted the bottom of her top up so that her stomach was bare to him. Her glorious dark skin felt so soft to touch; Rick then placed his mouth to her abdomen and peppered it with kisses. He used his tongue to lick from her navel to where the fabric was bunched causing her to shiver. Rick then pulled her strapless top down and was met with the sight of her lovely round breasts. He brought his face to her chest as he used his tongue to trace circles around her hardening nipple; he used his hand to rub and squeeze the other breast. Michonne moaned slightly at the sensation, feeling her wet centre begin to pulsate. She instinctively began to gyrate her hips against Rick as she threaded her fingers through his curls. He rocked on top of her slightly so she could feel his hardness pressed against her centre as his mouth returned to hers.

Rick pushed his hand down the front of Michonne's jeans and searched for her opening; she tilted her pelvis forward in an effort to give his fingers better access. He rubbed his hand over her smooth bald lips before finding her centre. He dipped a finger inside and was pleased that she was already wet. He traced the moisture up to her clitoris and slowly began to massage it while they continued to devour each other's mouths; her breathing had quickened with every stroke Rick made. Michonne desperately wanted to return the favour and moved to undo Rick's belt buckle, button and zipper. Her mind was racing as she reached into his jeans and took hold of his hardened member. Rick gasped into her mouth at the sensation of her small hand wrapped around his pulsating cock. He lost his train of thought as soon as Michonne began to firmly tug at his length and almost failed to notice that Carl and his friend Duane had just come through the front door and stepped into the living room. When he realized what had happened, Rick quickly removed his hand from out of Michonne's pants and instinctively covered her body with his own to protect her modesty. Carl did not know if he should be elated because his father and Michonne had finally shifted their relationship, or mortified because he had just caught them in an intimate situation, with his friend in tow no less. Rick looked at his son and his son's friend before barking an order at them.

"Boys, go upstairs, now! Move it!" Yelled Rick as a surprised Michonne relinquished her hold on him, screwed her face up and closed her eyes.

xXxXxXx

"Carl! Get yourself down here!"

Called Rick as he sat on the couch next to an embarrassed looking Michonne; they were both fully clothed again and looked quite flustered.

"Carl!" He tried again before he heard the sounds of footfalls and the two boys both made their way down the stairs.

"What are you two doin' here?" Rick asked, surprised that they were there considering he was certain Carl was spending the entire weekend over at the Jones' residence.

"I could ask the two of you the same thing!"

Carl replied as he and Duane supressed a giggle. Michonne folded one arm over her front, cupped the elbow of the other in her hand, closed her eyes and rubbed her right eye so she did not have to look at them in that moment.

"Don't be a smartass. I thought you were spendin' the whole weekend at Duane's place?" Rick asked.

"I was, but there's a zombie movie marathon on tonight and Duane's dad is watching some boring documentary on birds or fish or something and we were gonna miss the marathon, so we thought we'd just come here. Dude, it's not a huge deal." Offered the teenager.

"Carl, don't call me 'dude', how many times do I have to tell you that? And maybe you should've called or sent a text first." Said Rick, plainly annoyed.

"I did send a message, but you were obviously too _busy_ to check your phone." Carl reasoned as he glanced sideways at a smirking Duane.

"Am I in trouble, Dad? We didn't mean to walk in on the two of you. Seriously, you guys shouldn't be making out in the living room in the daytime anyways…"

"Carl." Rick warned.

"…And since _when_ have the two of you decided to be making out? Why am I always the last one to know? I mean, it's cool with me and all but I still gotta live here and nobody wants to see that…"

"Carl!" Rick spoke louder this time.

"Oh come on, Dad! Why am I in trouble? I didn't do anything." Carl complained as he flopped down in the armchair sulking.

"Rick." Interrupted Michonne. "It's fine, don't be hard on him."

"She said 'hard-on'." Whispered Duane as he and Carl chuckled slightly.

"Duane!" Rick chastised.

"Sorry sir. Sorry ma'am." Was the boy's reply.

Michonne continued, looking unimpressed at the level of immaturity Carl and Duane displayed when they were around each other.

"Look, Grimesy's just a little upset 'cause he thought we'd get time alone, but hey, I'm down for a zombie movie marathon." She said as she smiled widely at the boys.

"We can go get a load of junk food, turn the air conditioner and snuggle under the blankets; what do you think, Rick?"

Rick cursed inwardly as he realized the he and Michonne were not going to be consummating their new relationship that evening.

"Y'all realize I don't like all the weird stuff and things that you like, right? Comics, zombies and Star Trek Wars and all of that." Rick said, smiling now.

"We know." Came Michonne's reply. "But you like us, right? So you'll put up with it anyways."

"I like you." Said Rick to Michonne. "Dunno 'bout these other two."

"Hey!" Said Carl as he threw a cushion at his father, feigning offence.

Once the mood had become light, Michonne remembered she had bought a gift for Carl that was sitting in the bag on the floor. She walked over to where she had left it, retrieved the present and held it behind her back.

"I got somethin' for you at the country music festival today." She said to the teenager. "I think it's perfect for zombie-slaying."

With that, she approached Carl and placed the dark brown hat that resembled Rick's sheriff's hat on top of his head.

The boy smiled widely and went to look in the mirror at himself.

"Thank you!" He offered. "How does it look?"

"Oh my gosh, dude! You look like mini-Rick! Just need to get your hair permed." Michonne teased.

They all laughed as Rick gently tossed the cushion in Michonne's direction playfully before leaning over and kissing the side of her cheek.

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><p>AN: Wanted to write cock-blocking Carl for a while! Hahaha

Fear not, kids and zombies won't get in the way of their love making next time!

More to come…


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Sorry for the wait! I have planned a few more chapters of this one.

Like Nelly said, it's gettin' hot in here…

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><p>Rick jumped slightly as he woke up with a start caused by Michonne's laughter; he had fallen asleep briefly half way through <em>Shaun of the Dead. <em>She had not noticed his soft snoring as they both sat beside one another on the couch with a blanket strewn over the lower half of their bodies. It was almost one o'clock in the morning and the zombie movie marathon was in full swing. Carl and Duane were sprawled out on two single air mattresses directly in front of the television set laughing at the antics of the characters in the British zombie apocalypse comedy film.

Rick rubbed his eyes and looked to Michonne before speaking.

"Hey, I'm goin' to bed." He said tiredly. "You comin'?"

She turned towards Rick then screwed her face up a little.

"I might just finish watchin' this. Haven't seen it before and I wanna know what happens to these pair of idiots."

She answered, feeling slightly guilty for not accompanying Rick upstairs. Honestly, Michonne knew that if she did go to bed with him, his lethargy would give way to arousal and they would end up finishing what they had started earlier in the day. While she wanted to make love to Rick, she did not feel completely comfortable doing it with the two teenagers under the same roof. Besides, she really did want to see the end of the film.

Rick did not attempt to hide his look of disappointment as he answered, "Okay."

He went to stand up until Michonne spoke again.

"I'll come up soon." She offered before giving him a quick kiss on the lips.

Rick bid them all goodnight and carried himself heavily up the stairs. After brushing his teeth and stripping down to his underwear, he went back into his bedroom and flopped down onto the bed. Once his head hit the pillow, he did not feel as sleepy as he had when he was downstairs; his mind became occupied with thoughts of how wet Michonne was earlier and how her hand felt wrapped around his hardness. He felt the familiar stirring in his boxer shorts and hoped to Christ that the stupid movie would hurry up and finish so that he could do something about it. He considered slipping his own hand under the covers and pleasuring himself, but thought better of it in case the film finished and Michonne came in and caught him. Rick reached for his side table and grabbed his phone; he opened his text messages and found Michonne's name and typed in his very brief message.

Michonne noticed her phone light up from where it sat on the arm of the couch; she grabbed it and saw that she had received a text from Rick. She smiled slightly and opened the message that simply read:

_I'm horny :(_

She shook her head and grinned again before replying right away.

_OMG dude! This is our 1st sexting sesh! Dick pic? :P_

Rick read what she had written and laughed a little to himself; her sense of humor was one of the things he loved about her.

_Come up stairs & take the pic urself ;) _

Was his response.

_R U Serious?_

Michonne replied to Rick as she started to think that maybe she would just go to bed with him after all, and leave the zombies for another time and place.

_No but still horny. Come to bed pls!_

xXxXx

Rick stared at the phone's screen for about five minutes; Michonne had not sent a message back to him yet. He was enjoying the little game they were playing, but all of a sudden she had stopped. He lay in the darkened room thinking of how she was in the same house as him yet so far away. He desperately wanted to resume their activities that were interrupted earlier.

At that moment, Rick heard his bedroom door creak open as the light from the hallway crept in; Michonne stood silhouetted in the doorway as Rick sat up in bed smiling with anticipation. He turned the bedside lamp on as she closed the door behind her and locked it. He noticed that she had changed her clothing and, from the look of it, was only wearing his shirt that he had recently removed and left hanging on the towel rack in the bathroom.

Michonne sauntered over to the bed and sat down next to Rick as he drew the covers back for her; they shared a smile and then he reached for her face and pulled her into a slow, sensual kiss.

"It's such a turn on seein' in my shirt." He whispered huskily into her ear after a while before nibbling the lobe then moving his mouth to her neck.

"Really?" She asked as her head started spinning at the feel of Rick's mouth, tongue and teeth on her skin. She then asked:

"Want me leave it on?"

"Fuck no." Came his immediate heady response as pulled her on to his lap and caught her mouth with his own. "I wanna see all of you."

Rick placed his hands to Michonne's behind and was pleased and even more aroused that she was not wearing panties. He squeezed and rubbed her smooth round backside while absently drawing her closer to him.

She continued kissing him deeply before pulling away and beginning to unbutton his shirt that was covering her firm breasts.

"Hold on."

Said Rick as motioned for her to let him up from where she sat straddling him. Rick stood and her eyes wandered slowly down his body in the dimly lit room. Her gaze fell where the dripping tip of his manhood protruded slightly from his underwear. Michonne felt her own sex begin to throb when Rick turned on the much brighter overhead light and removed his boxer shorts. He really did want to see all of her, and wanted her to see just how much he wanted her; how his body responded to her.

Rick stood completely naked in front of Michonne and smiled as she looked lustfully at him; her eyes once again going straight to his hardness. She continued to unbutton the shirt and opened it so that her delicious skin was exposed to him; she then let the garment fall away from her shoulders. Rick stood admiring her nakedness.

"I knew you'd be perfect all over."

He said before kneeling on the bed and moving to where Michonne sat. She instinctively laid back parted her legs slightly as Rick hovered over her and kissed her mouth again. She ran her fingers through his hair as their tongues and lips met hungrily; their breathing becoming quicker as Rick switched between fondling her breast and gripping her backside. They hesitantly pulled apart for some much needed air. Rick shifted his weight from off of Michonne and moved backwards slightly; he gripped her hips firmly with both hands and dragged her frame down the bed somewhat. Rick placed her legs over his shoulders, and just when she thought her was going to enter her, he slid further down the bed himself until his face was near her opening.

Rick moved and placed her legs either side of him so her lips were parted. He could see the glistening of her folds, showing how her body was ready to receive him. Rick ran his finger over her bald lips before letting his tongue follow. Michonne let out a moan at the feeling of Rick's mouth at her centre. He lapped at her slick folds several times before dipping his tongue into her opening. He then flicked her sensitive bud a briefly before sucking it into his mouth. Michonne's hips bucked as her eyes closed and she bit her bottom lip. Her breathing became heavier as she murmured his name deeply over and over again; throwing her legs back over his shoulders and gripping the sheets tightly.

This caused Rick to hasten his efforts as he sucked and licked her until she found her release and her hot juices filled his mouth. Her legs felt weak as he shifted them so that his waist was positioned near her womanhood. He leaned down and captured her lips with his own; Michonne slightly aware of her own taste still in his mouth. Still panting, she spread her legs wider, reached her hand between their bodies and found Rick's cock.

She stroked his length a few times, admiring his hardness and thickness before guiding him towards her opening. Rick let her place his throbbing tip just inside her centre before he pushed further into her tight wetness. He did not move at first, opting to relish in the feeling of her warmth enveloping him. He then set a steady pace and thrust into her while his left arm rested near her head and he held her hand with his right one. They held each other's gaze and occasionally, he sought her mouth with his own; breathing her name into it as if he were breathing life into her.

Rick's movements became more frantic as he thrust deeper and harder into Michonne's core; each thrust eliciting a pleasured moan from her as he found her spot again and again. She gripped his back and dug her nails into his hot flesh as her walls began to tighten and the familiar warmth spread through her stomach. Her eyes closed as Rick continued to push himself into her; he could tell her climax was fast approaching so he lifted her hips slightly and plunged faster into her depths. Michonne's body became tense and she shuddered almost violently at the peak of her pleasure; simultaneously causing Rick to find his own release as his seed spilled hotly inside of her and he called out her name.

Rick collapsed on top of Michonne as they both rode out the waves of their orgasms; she panted while fighting to catch her breath and Rick let out breathless proclamations of his love for her. He slowly slipped his length from out of her warmth, rolled to his back and pulled her form onto his so that her head rested on his chest; she reached for his hand and entwined their fingers.

Michonne listened to the sound of his heartbeat as it began to slow its pace, much like her own. She watched as Rick gently rubbed his thumb over hers and liked how their hands looked locked together; she found their contrasting skin tones to be beautiful.

She drew his hand to her lips and placed a gentle, loving kiss to it before shifting so that she and Rick were once again looking into one another's eyes. His smile was so wide that she could not help but reciprocate; using her hand to brush away the damp stray curls stuck to his forehead.

"You know I love you, right?" She said, her voice a little croaky from the dryness in her throat.

"Yeah, yeah. You say that all the time."

He joked, gently rubbing the back of his hand to the side of her face; still grinning.

"No, I know I say it all the time. And I do love you; but I'm tryin' to tell you something so stop bein' cute and shit and just let me say it."

"Okay." He said, listening attentively.

"I know it's taken a while, but I need you to know. I'm _in love_ with you, Rick…There, I finally said it. No more pretending. Now you know."

The smile fell away from Rick's face as he closed his eyes and sighed loudly and deeply. He then opened his eyes and beamed at her before leaning up and sweetly kissing her lips. His heart swelled with overwhelming happiness that they were both finally on the same page, together.

"That's a relief." Rick offered. "I'm not sure if you noticed this at all, but I'm so in love with you."

They embraced one another once again before Rick moved to extinguish the lights. He returned to the bed, wrapped Michonne in his arms as they both lay smiling; completely happy with where the road had led them.

* * *

><p>AN: Thanks for reading!

More to come…


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Sorry this one has taken so long to update. I had so much fun writing the last chapter and I'm glad it was well received. They got there finally! Thanks for the reviews; I swear you guys are the best. Seriously, you're wonderful and make me grin from ear to ear!

Since it's been ages, here's a recap: there was a zombie movie marathon; Rick sexting Michonne; Rick and Michonne made love for the first time; and Michonne admitted that she was in love with Rick.

Pillow talk time; it's about to get fluffy!

* * *

><p>Rick's eyes focussed on the ceiling of his bedroom in the soft light of the morning as a smile crept over his face. He looked to his left and saw Michonne fast asleep next to him; the covers had fallen away and her bare, smooth back was exposed to him. Rick's smile grew wider when he thought of how he could easily become used to waking up next to her every day. He could barely contain the urge to reach over and touch her to make sure that she was really there. That it all had not been some delightful dream.<p>

Rick shuffled closer and draped his arm over Michonne's waist; listening to the sound of her gentle breathing. He then drew his face close to her shoulder and gave it a light kiss. He did not stop there and trailed several kisses over her back. Michonne began to stir as she was awoken from her slumber by the sensation of Rick's lips on her skin. She smiled to herself when she remembered where she was and who she was with.

"Good morning, Grimesy." She said cheerfully before turning to face him.

"Mornin', beautiful." Was his reply.

They shared a grin before Rick pressed a languid kiss to Michonne's lips; she yawned a little then moved herself nearer to him.

"How'd you sleep?" Rick whispered, still smiling at her.

"I slept fine; feel well rested actually." She whispered back before giggling and asking. "Why are we whispering?"

Rick let out his own small laugh and responded with:

"I don't know. Don't wanna wake the boys, maybe? Could do with some quiet before they get up and start stompin' around."

Michonne used her finger to trace lines up and down Rick's arm.

"Oh please, I'm sure we made enough noise last night to wake the neighbors!" She offered, a devilish smile playing on her face.

"_Hmm_, last night…" Rick said dreamily as he closed his eyes and grinned once more.

"What about it?" Michonne asked in a flirtatious manner.

"Well, let's just say it was amazing." He started as he opened his eyes and looked at her. "Because you're amazing."

"You know what you are?" She asked while running her fingers through his curls.

"What am I?" Was Rick's cheerful response.

"You're fuckin' hot! Facebook shall hear about this!" She teased as she kissed him chastely on the mouth.

"But seriously, you're the amazing one, Rick. You're so good to me. Why are you so good to me?"

Asked Michonne, becoming somewhat staid. Rick grabbed her hand and placed a kiss to it.

"Are you kiddin'?" He asked with a smile as she shrugged. "Why wouldn't I be good to you? You deserve the best of everything. And I love you, Michonne."

She smiled at Rick as she fought to hold back the tears that had welled in her eyes. He continued talking as she held on to his hand and listened.

"You know why I love you? It's 'cause you're beautiful and smart and funny; you're kind and brave and you make me wanna be a better man 'cause you deserve the best."

Now the tears started to roll down Michonne's cheeks; Rick used his thumb to wipe them away.

"You okay?" He asked looking concerned.

"Yeah," She said with a smile.

"You know I love you, right? 'Cause you make me smile, Rick. You made me smile when I didn't think I could ever smile again; you've always been patient with me. I felt so empty for a long time that I didn't even notice you slowly filled that space inside me. You make me feel…whole again; and I realize that now, I feel empty when I'm not near you. You and Carl are everything to me."

Michonne finally said.

"That's exactly how I feel too." He offered before leaning toward Michonne and kissing her deeply.

She rolled onto her back as Rick leaned over her and continued their unhurried kiss; his hand trailing over her body, savoring the feeling of her soft, smooth skin.

xXxXx

Michonne crashed into a sweating, writhing heap on top of Rick as they both reached their climax. Rick was not worried about the teenagers asleep down stairs when he filled Michonne's womb with his seed once more and called her name loudly. She kissed his mouth and they both could not help but smile. Michonne had not known how insatiable Rick was for her and she was definitely not opposed to his appetite.

The euphoria of being with her was almost too much for him to fathom; Rick was happy. Rick was _extremely _happy. He was happy that, after all of the trials they had faced on their own, and then together, that they had overcome it all. They had found a place in their friendship and relationship where they were being completely honest and open with each other. They had finally taken the first step down an unknown road; yes, it was scary, but at the same time, it felt so right. They both knew deep down inside that the road would be easier to walk now that they did not walk it alone.

Michonne rolled from off of Rick while catching her breath; she leaned on her elbow and watched him. He wore the most contented smile she had seen; head reclined and eyes closed. She reached over and pressed her index finger to his swollen lips and he grinned wider under her touch.

"Rick?" She asked, still running her finger over his lips.

"Yeah?" He answered, eyes still firmly closed.

"Will you make me pancakes?" She asked softly, causing Rick to open his eyes and look at her.

She really was the most spontaneously amusing and utterly adorable person he had ever known.

"What, right now?" He queried, letting her stroke his face with the back of his hand.

"Hmm mm." She replied.

"Can I have a shower first?" He then asked, knowing full well he would do anything that she wanted him to.

"Yeah, okay." She smiled flirtatiously. "We can have one together."

xXxXx

The smell of pancakes wafted through the kitchen of Rick's home as he and Michonne ate breakfast; Carl and Duane were still asleep in the lounge room. The adults did not know how long the boys had been up watching their zombie films, but they would leave them there for now.

"God, Grimesy. This is so good. What is it with you and breakfast foods?" Michonne said as she pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of her second stack of pancakes covered in golden syrup.

"What is it with you and your phone and pictures of breakfast foods?"

He laughed as he took in her appearance; she wore one of his t-shirts, a pair of sweat pants and her hair tied in a high ponytail.

"You know my fascination with social media and the American consumer; this," she said before uploading the picture to her Facebook page. "Is for research purposes."

"Yeah?" He asked, amused and not too sure how serious she was.

"Yes. Also, it's to show all of my _friends_ that I have this hot ass boyfriend who cooks pancakes for me." She offered while laughing.

Rick could not help but join her in chortling and then smiled.

"Ya know how good it sounds when you call me that?" He said.

"What? My hot ass boyfriend?" She said lightly.

"Yes, ma'am. Feels great to be official." Rick offered with a grin.

"Baby, it ain't official until we update our relationship statuses on FB to 'in a relationship'." She said and they both burst out laughing once more.

Michonne placed her phone on the table then stared at Rick who had continued to eat; he looked up at her and asked:

"What?"

"Nothin'. I just know Carl's gonna be pissed when he finds out." She said with a wry smirk.

"What, about us?" Rick said, looking somewhat concerned.

"No, dude; when he finds out we didn't save him any pancakes!" Came her reply as they once again fell into laughter.

xXxXx

Michonne had reluctantly left Rick and went back to her place; she was going to grab some items and pack an overnight bag for her return later in the evening. Rick was outside tending to his vegetable patch when Carl and Duane came outside. Carl did not look impressed when he walked over to his father.

"Dude, what's wrong with you and Michonne? I gotta go on Facebook to find out?" Carl said clearly annoyed.

Rick sighed, placed the gardening implement down and faced his son.

"Firstly, son; don't call me dude. You know I hate it. Secondly, we thought you already figured out that we had feelings for each other…"

"What? No, Dad; I know you two are together. Oh and it's about time you made it official. But I'm talkin' about the pancakes! Michonne posted it all over Facey and you guys didn't even save any for us!"

Upon hearing what his son was currently upset about, Rick laughed uproariously and patted both boys on the back.

"Come on, let's get you both fed." Said Rick as he and the teenagers headed back inside.

* * *

><p>AN: I wonder if Michonne should pack more than an overnight bag? Might be a good idea since she and Rick don't seem like they want to let each other up for air anytime soon lol I don't blame 'em!

Thanks for sticking with me; this one really has been a little rough at times, but they're in a good place now.

More to come!


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